His family was told he might never walk again and he could be paralysed from the neck down after a freak accident in a swimming pool, now ex Bath Rugby Academy player Ed Jackson is making a miraculous recovery.

The former Dragons and Wasps back rower spoke to the Bath Chronicle at his parental home in Timsbury, near Bath where he is recovering after his near fatal accident.

He’s dumped his wheelchair, is walking around almost unaided and is hoping to start driving again soon.

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“Six months ago if you told me I could never play rugby I would have been distraught, but now I will be happy to walk again and get back to complete health.

“It’s all relative, really, we take so much for granted.

“When I was in hospital I met so many people with paralysing spinal injuries, in a weird way I think my accident was a positive thing, it has made me appreciate the really important things like family, friends and health, nothing else is as important and now I want to help others with the same kind of injuries.

“I want to turn it round into a positive thing, if I can get myself back to as well as I can be and then try to help others that means the whole thing will not have been a waste of time.

“I love Bath, I grew up in Bath and the people from the city, including all my friends and particularly the rugby community have been amazing.

“I got so many visits in hospital and there’s so much goodwill out there I feel I owe it to them and my family to get as well as I can, I am really working hard on it and it seems to be working,” he said.

He spends eight hours a day having rehabilitation treatments including physiotherapy, yoga and strengthening exercises, and is putting a lot of effort into his recovery which has stunned family and friends.

He has to finance his treatment himself, and is being helped and supported by various charities and people in Bath.

A fundraising dinner organised by ex Bath and England rugby player Victor Obogu at the Mint Room restaurant in the city last week raised more than £4,000 towards his treatment.

Bath players Anthony Watson and Jonathan Joseph attended and did the Q&A.

Ed said: “I have been overwhelmed by people in the rugby community and people in Bath who have all been so supportive, I could not have made this recovery without their help.

“Victor just picked up the phone after my accident and wanted to help so he gathered around 70 friends for the dinner to raise money for me.

“It’s weird to go to fundraisers when the beneficiary is yourself, I now want to do all I can to help others in the same situation.” he said.

He’s also being helped by the Restart programme, part of the Rugby Players' Association and

The Matt Hampson Foundation - started by the former Leicester prop who was left paralysed after an injury.

Ed is an inspiration to other spinal injury sufferers, although he is aware some are not as lucky is he is.

He is now helping to raise funds for a new rehabilitation centre for spinal injuries for the Forever Friends Appeal at the RUH.

He said: “I have been incredibly lucky, I know that, my injuries could have been a whole lot worse and there are a lot of people who are not as lucky.

“I would like to help people with spinal injuries, I have been there, I know what it’s like, it’s very scary but I want them to know there is hope, the right rehab and treatment can really help.

“Something like this makes you very strong mentally, you have to be.” he said.